Generally, compositions which provide a comparatively enhanced level of non-toxicity and biodegradability which can be used to clean or condition materials.
A number of environmental labeling, purchasing, and stewardship standards exist that have established criteria for the human health and environmental performance of cleaning products. For example, In North America, these include, but are not limited to, the following:
Canadian Environmental Choice (EcoLogo Program) standards for laundry detergent/fabric softener (CCD-105) and for hard surface cleaners (CCD-146);
Green Seal standards for industrial and institutional cleaners (GS-37);
US Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) environmentally preferable purchasing guidelines on cleaning products;
Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS);
City of Santa Monica, Calif. purchasing criteria for industrial and institutional cleaners;
State of Minnesota environmentally preferable purchasing guidelines for cleaners; and
Commonwealth of Massachusetts environmentally preferable purchasing guidelines for cleaners.
A wide variety of human health data sources allow each of the chemicals in a product to be compared with the criteria of one or more of the stewardship standards above-identified. For example with respect to Acute Oral Toxicity (LD50) data sources can be utilized, as follows:
National Library of Medicine Toxicology Network (TOXNET) Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), an on-line database;
Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances (RTECS®) database online (for ingredients without acute toxicity data on HSDB); and
Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 10th Ed, 2000 (lists skin and eye irritants by classification);
As to Biodegradability data sources can be utilized, as follows:
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for chemical constituents of interest Carcinogenicity.
As to Carcinogenicity data sources can be utilized, as follows:
State of California Environmental Protection Agency's “Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity” (issue date Nov. 14, 2003), which contains a list of carcinogens and reproductive toxins identified by the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65);
USEPA Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database (cancer weight of evidence classifications); and
The US Department of Energy's (DOE) Brookhaven National Laboratory (BNL) “BNL Laboratory Standard Carcinogen List” (issue date May 3, 2006), which contains a compilation of cancer ratings, including those from the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC), the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH), and the National Toxicology Program, Public Health Service, US Department of Health and Human Services (NTP).
As to Reproductive Toxicity data sources can be utilized, as follows:
State of California Environmental Protection Agency's “Chemicals Known to the State to Cause Cancer or Reproductive Toxicity” (issue date Nov. 14, 2003), which contains a list of carcinogens and reproductive toxins implemented by the Safe Drinking Water and Toxic Enforcement Act of 1986 (Proposition 65); and
DOE BNL Reproductive Toxins (issue date Sep. 26, 2005), which contains a compilation of reproductive toxin ratings including those from the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), ACGIH, and the NTP.
As to Mutagenicity data sources can be utilized, as follows:
TOXNET HSDB.
As to Endocrine Disruption data sources can be utilized to check for the presence of alkylphenol ethoxylate (APE) surfactants, APE derivatives such as nonylphenol, octylphenol, nonylphenol monoethoxylate, and nonylphenol diethoxylate), and phthalates, which are suspected endocrine disrupters.
As to Skin Sensitizers data sources can be utilized, as follows:
Haz-Map®, an on-line occupational health database; and
Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials, 10th Ed, 2000 (lists skin and eye irritants by classification).
As to Hazardous Air Pollutants data sources can be utilized, as follows:
USEPA Air Toxics Web Site's list of hazardous air pollutants.
As to Volatile Organic Compounds (VOC) data sources can be utilized to check to ensure that chemicals considered to be VOCs did not make up more than 1 percent of the product, by weight.
As to Persistent Bioaccumulative Toxins (PBT) data sources can be utilized, as follows:
USEPA's 31 Priority.
A significant problem with conventional compositions for the cleaning and conditioning of materials can be that they do not meet or far exceed these relevant and applicable standards.
The inventive cleaning compositions described herein address this issue by providing a comparatively enhanced level of non-toxicity and biodegradability which can be used to clean or condition materials.